Strawberry Seneca

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct variety of strawberry (Fragaria×Ananassa) which is exceptional in combining large yield, potential large fruit size, extreme fruit firmness and good fruit quality. The strawberry is named `Seneca` and was tested as NY 1529.

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/757,051, filed Sep. 9, 1991 now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This new cultivar was developed by the small fruits breeding program of the Department of Horticulture Sciences, Cornell University, Geneva, N.Y., 14456. It was selected in 1976 from 243 progeny of a cross between NY 1261×`Holiday`. (NY 1261 being a cross of `Redcoat` and NY 844; with `Redcoat` in turn being a cross of `Redglow` and NY 254; NY 254 in turn being a cross of Tenn, Shipper and Fairfax. The NY 1261 ×Holiday cross was made in 1974. As a selection the new cultivar was tested as NY 1529. It was tested for many years in second test plots, and was evaluated in replicated yield trials in 1981 and 1982. It was further evaluated at numerous sites throughout the Great Lakes States by cooperative testers. In the fall of 1991, NY 1529 will be publicly released as `Seneca`.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

NY 1529 has moderate vigor and runnering growth habit, its leaves are medium green in color, corresponding to Green 137B of the R.H.S. Colour Chart, and foliage is opened and not cupped. NY 1529 leaf serrations are less deeply serrated in comparison with `Earliglow`. Glandular hairs on the flower pedicel epidermis of NY 1529 run almost parallel with the pedicel, similar to `Earliglow`. In contrast, glandular hairs on `Honeoye` are perpendicular to the pedicel and may point slightly downward. The glandular hairs on NY 1529 are much less dense then `Allstar`.

Table 1 sets forth mean maturity dates based on a 1982 field trial. Mean date of harvest was calculated on a weighted basis. Means followed by the same letter are not significantly different, based on Waller and Duncan's BSD test, K=100.

Table 2 sets forth mean subjective fruit skin toughness scores. Skin toughness was subjectively determined by rubbing the skin of several berries in the hand from each replicate of each genotype. Each plot at each harvest (replicate) was scored independently. Each genotype was rated 1 to 9 with `9` being most resistant to skin abrasion.

Table 3 sets forth mean Instron measurements from 1982 (firmest fruit listed first). Each genotype mean score reflects the force required for the Instron probe to penetrate the flesh of undamaged berries. Twelve berries were tested of each genotype on the same day of harvest for each harvest date. Means followed by the same letter are not significantly different, based on Waller and Duncan's BSD test, K=100.

Table 4 sets forth mean berry weight of 29 strawberry genotypes based upon 1982 field trials. Mean berry weight was determined by dividing total yield per plot by total number of berries per plot. Means followed by the same letter are not significantly different based on Waller and Duncan's BSD test, K=100.

Table 5 sets forth mean subjective fruit appearance scores. Berries were rated 1 to 9 with `9` being the most attractive. Each plot at each harvest (replicate) was scored independently. Means followed by the same letter are not significantly different, based on Waller and Duncan's BSD test, K=100.

Table 6 sets forth mean subjective flavor scores. Berries were rated 1 to 9 with `9` being best flavor. Each plot at each harvest (replicate) was scored independently. Means followed by the same letter was not significantly different, based on Waller and Duncan's BSD test, K=100.

Table 7 shows fruit yields in 1981 and 1982. Means followed by the same letter are not significantly different, based on Waller and Duncan's BSD test, K=100.

Table 8 sets forth the findings of two years of taste panel evaluations.

Table 9 sets forth the mean ranking of 29 cultivars and selections, averaged over 8 characteristics.

Table 10 sets forth the relative performance of NY 1529 at numerous test sites throughout the Great Lakes Region.

                  TABLE 1                                                          ______________________________________                                         Mean maturity date of NY 1529 vs. other cultivars                              Genotype   Mean Weighted Date of Harvest                                       ______________________________________                                         `Earlidawn`                                                                               June 23     A                                                       `Midland`  June 24     AB                                                      NY 1402    June 25     ABC                                                     MDUS 4380  June 26     BCD                                                     `Lester`   June 26     BCD                                                     MDUS 4355  June 26     BCD                                                     NY 1524    June 26     BCD                                                     MDUS 4774  June 26     BCD                                                     `Catskill` June 27     CDE                                                     NY 1560    June 27     CDE                                                     `Honeoye`  June 28     DEFG                                                    `Holiday`  June 28     DEFG                                                    NY 1530    June 28     DEFG                                                    MDUS 4579  June 28     DEFGH                                                   `Raritan`  June 28     DEFGHI                                                  NY 1570    June 29     EFGHIJ                                                  NY 1333    June 29     FGHIJK                                                  MDUS 4426  June 29     FGHIJK                                                  `Jewel`    June 30     GHIJKL                                                  NY 1529    July 1      HIJKLM                                                  NY 1368    July 1      HIJKLMN                                                 NY 1431    July 1      IJKLMN                                                  NY 1406    July 1      IJKLMN                                                  NY 1580    July 1      JKLMN                                                   `Allstar`  July 1      JKLMN                                                   `Canoga`   July 2      KLMN                                                    `Scott`    July 2      LMN                                                     `Sparkle`  July 3      MN                                                      NY 1482    July 4      N                                                       ______________________________________                                    

                  TABLE 2                                                          ______________________________________                                         Mean subjective fruit skin toughness scores for NY 1529                        and other cultivars.                                                           Treatment  Replicates   Mean Score                                             ______________________________________                                         NY 1524    6            7.7   A                                                NY 1529    5            7.6   AB                                               `Jewel`    5            7.4   AB                                               NY 1530    6            7.2   ABC                                              MDUS 4426  5            7.0   ASCD                                             NY 1368    5            6.8   ABCDE                                            MDUS 4579  5            6.8   ABCDE                                            `Holiday`  8            6.8   ABCDE                                            NY 1580    3            6.7   ABCDEF                                           `Canoga`   4            6.5   ABCDEF                                           `Scott`    8            6.5   BCDEF                                            `Lester`   7            6.3   BCDEF                                            `Allstar`  4            6.2   BCDEFG                                           NY 1333    5            6.0   CDEFG                                            NY 1406    9            5.9   DEFG                                             MDUS 4335  6            5.8   DEFG                                             MDUS 4774  5            5.6   EFGH                                             NY 1482    4            5.5   EFGHI                                            NY 1560    4            5.3   EFGHI                                            NY 1402    5            5.2   FGHI                                             NY 1431    5            5.2   FGHI                                             `Raritan`  7            5.0   GHI                                              `Honeoye`  7            4.5   HIJ                                              MDUS 4380  6            4.3   IJK                                              `Sparkle`  5            3.8   JK                                               `Earlidawn`                                                                               8            3.7   JK                                               Midland    7            3.0   K                                                NY 1570    1            2.0   KL                                               `Catskill` 7            1.1   L                                                ______________________________________                                    

                  TABLE 3                                                          ______________________________________                                         Mean firmness measurement for NY 1529 and other cultivars                                       Mean puncture force                                           Genotype         (daltons)                                                     ______________________________________                                         NY 1570          65.8   A                                                      `NY 1529`        62.7   A                                                      MDUS 4579        57.6   A                                                      MDUS 4774        56.4   A                                                      NY 1524          53.9   AB                                                     NY 1530          46.9   BC                                                     NY 1580          46.7   BC                                                     NY 1560          46.1   BC                                                     `Holiday`        45.7   CD                                                     `Canoga`         44.7   CDE                                                    MDUS 4426        44.2   CDE                                                    Allstar`         39.3   CDEF                                                   NY 1431          38.3   DEFG                                                   `Scott`          37.6   EFGH                                                   NY 1406          35.9   FGHI                                                   `Jewel`          33.5   FGHIJ                                                  NY 1402          32.5   FGHIJ                                                  NY 1333          30.8   GHIJ                                                   NY 1482          30.1   GHIJK                                                  MDUS 4380        30.0   HIJK                                                   `Honeoye`        28.8   IJK                                                    MDUS 4355        28.7   IJK                                                    `Lester`         28.6   IJK                                                    `Midland`        27.1   JKL                                                    NY 1368          27.1   JKL                                                    `Raritan`        25.9   JKL                                                    `Earlidawn       25.6   JKL                                                    `Sparkle`        22.0   KL                                                     `Catskill`       19.9   L                                                      ______________________________________                                    

                  TABLE 4                                                          ______________________________________                                         Mean berry weight for NY 1529 and other cultivars                              Genotype         Grams/berry                                                   ______________________________________                                         NY 1524          14.4   A                                                      `Canoga`         13.7   AB                                                     `Allstar`        13.6   AB                                                     NY 1333          13.5   ABC                                                    MDUS 4426        13.4   ABC                                                    NY 1431          12.6   ABCD                                                   NY 1482          12.5   ABCD                                                   NY 1529          11.8   BCDE                                                   NY 1570          11.5   CDEF                                                   `Jewel`          11.3   DEFG                                                   `Lester`         11.2   DEFG                                                   NY 1580          11.2   DEFG                                                   NY 1406          10.9   DEFGH                                                  NY 1368          10.8   DEFGHI                                                 `Holiday`        10.7   DEFGHIJ                                                NY 1560          10.5   EFGHIJK                                                MDUS 4579        10.2   EFGHIJKL                                               `Honeoye`        10.0   EFGHIJKL                                               MDUS 4380        10.0   EFGHIJKL                                               NY 1402          10.0   EFGHIJKL                                               MDUS 4774         9.7   FGHIJKL                                                `Raritan`         9.3   GHIJKL                                                 `Scott`           9.1   HIJKL                                                  MDUS 4355         9.0   HIJKL                                                  `Catskill`        8.9   HIJKL                                                  NY 1530           8.8   IJKL                                                   `Midland`         8.7   JKL                                                    `Sparkle`         8.6   KL                                                     `Earlidawn`       8.3   L                                                      ______________________________________                                    

                  TABLE 5                                                          ______________________________________                                         Mean fruit appearance scores for NY 1529 and other cultivars                   Genotype   Replicates    Mean Score                                            ______________________________________                                         NY 1333    5             7.6   A                                               `Lester`   7             7.3   AB                                              `Jewel`    5             6.8   ABC                                             NY 1524    6             6.5   ABCD                                            NY 1530    6             6.3   ABCD                                            MDUS 4355  6             6.3   ABCDE                                           `Honeoye`  7             6.3   ABCDE                                           NY 1529    5             6.2   ABCDEF                                          MDUS 4380  6             6.2   BCDEF                                           `Scott`    8             6.1   BCDEF                                           NY 1368    5             6.0   BCDEF                                           NY 1560    4             5.8   CDEF                                            `Raritan`  7             5.7   CDEFG                                           `Allstar`  4             5.5   CDEFG                                           `Canoga`   4             5.5   CDEFG                                           `Holiday`  8             5.5   CDEFG                                           NY 1431    5             5.4   CDEFG                                           NY 1530    3             5.3   CDEFG                                           NY 1482    4             5.3   DEFG                                            NY 1402    5             5.0   EFG                                             NY 1406    9             4.9   FG                                              MDUS 4774  5             4.8   FG                                              `Earlidawn`                                                                               8             4.6   G                                               MDUS 4426  5             4.2   G                                               MDUS 4579  5             4.0   G                                               `Midland`  7             4.0   G                                               `Sparkle`  5             3.4   G                                               NY 1570    2             3.0   GH                                              `Catskill` 7             1.9   H                                               ______________________________________                                    

                  TABLE 6                                                          ______________________________________                                         Mean flavor scores for NY 1529 and other cultivars                             Treatment   Replicates     Mean Score                                          ______________________________________                                         `Lester`    7              6.3    A                                            NY 1570     2              6.0    AB                                           NY 1529     5              6.0    AB                                           `Jewel`     5              5.8    AB                                           `Holiday`   8              5.8    AB                                           NY 1368     5              5.6    AB                                           NY 1560     4              5.5    AB                                           `Sparkle`   5              5.4    AB                                           NY 1524     6              5.3    AB                                           `Raritan`   7              5.3    AB                                           `Honeoye`   7              5.1    AB                                           `Allstar`   4              5.0    AB                                           `Canoga`    4              5.0    AB                                           MDUS 4380   6              5.0    AB                                           `Scott`     8              4.9    AB                                           NY 1530     6              4.8    AB                                           MDUS 4355   6              4.8    AB                                           MDUS 4426   5              4.8    AB                                           NY 1333     5              4.8    AB                                           NY 1431     5              4.8    AB                                           NY 1580     3              4.7    AB                                           MDUS 4774   5              4.6    B                                            NY 1402     5              4.6    B                                            `Midland`   7              4.4    B                                            NY 1406     9              4.2    B                                            NY 1482     4              4.0    B                                            `Catskill`  7              4.0    B                                            MDUS 4579   5              3.8    B                                            `Earlidawn` 8              3.8    B                                            ______________________________________                                    

                  TABLE 7                                                          ______________________________________                                         Mean fruit yield of 29 strawberry genotypes in 1981                            (established under adverse growing conditions) and in 1982                     (Established under favorable conditions)                                       Genotype Yield 1981                                                                               (g/4.5 m).sup.1                                                                          Yield 1982                                                                             (g/4.5 m)                                 ______________________________________                                         Allstar  3197      abc       6592    efghi                                     Canoga   4321      ab        10876   a                                         Catskill 5268      a         9830    abcd                                      Earlidawn                                                                               3322      abc       7133    cdefghi                                   Holiday  3394      abc       9750    abcd                                      Honeoye  2760      abc       10396   ab                                        Lester   2762      abc       6481    efghi                                     MDUS 4355                                                                               2594      abc       5131    hij                                       MDUS 4380                                                                               2272      abc       5038    ij                                        MDUS 4426                                                                               2883      abc       5422    ghij                                      MDUS 4579                                                                               3150      abc       8177    abcdefg                                   MDUS 4774                                                                               2069      bc        4599    ij                                        Midland  3479      abc       5149    hij                                       Jewel    5166      ab        6407    efghi                                     NY 1333  2113      abc       6064    fghi                                      NY 1368  3148      abc       6841    efghi                                     NY 1402  2450      abc       7089    defghi                                    NY 1406  4616      ab        10748   a                                         NY 1431  2744      abc       8359    abcdef                                    NY 1482  5171      ab        7874    bcdefgh                                   NY 1524  2622      abc       7234    cdefghi                                   NY 1529  3542      abc       10824   a                                         NY 1530  5010      ab        9674    abcd                                      NY 1560  2458      abc       6418    efghi                                     NY 1570  1125      c         2749    j                                         NY 1580  2309      abc       9834    abcd                                      Raritan  3383      abc       9933    abc                                       Scott    4270      abc       8347    abcdef                                    Sparkle  3942      abc       8943    abcde                                     ______________________________________                                          .sup.1 To convert to lb/A multiply by 1.6                                

                  TABLE 8                                                          ______________________________________                                         Summary of results from 1981 and 1982 taste                                    panel evaluations of frozen fruit.                                             ______________________________________                                                1.  Consistently rated `very good`                                                 MDUS 4744                                                                      Holiday                                                                        Honeoye                                                                        MDUS 4355                                                                      NY 1406                                                                    2.  Consistently rate `good`                                                       Scott                                                                          NY 1529                                                                        Jewel                                                                      3.  Marginally `acceptable`                                                        NY 1580                                                                        Sparkle                                                                        Lester                                                                         NY 1570                                                                        NY 1482                                                                        NY 1524                                                                        NY 1402                                                                        Midland                                                                    4.  `Unacceptable`                                                                 Canoga                                                                         Allstar                                                                        Raritan                                                                        NY 1333                                                                        NY 1560                                                                        MDUS 4579                                                                      NY 1530                                                                        NY 1368                                                                        MDUS 4426                                                                      NY 1431                                                                        MDUS 4380                                                                      Earlidawn                                                                      Catskill                                                            ______________________________________                                    

                  TABLE 9                                                          ______________________________________                                         Overall genotype mean rankings (yield, size, attractiveness,                   skin, flesh, fresh flavor, frozen quality) listed in order of                  total mean ranking of overall traits.                                          ______________________________________                                                                                Attractive-                             Overall                                                                               cultivar/   Yield.sup.1                                                                            Yield.sup.2                                                                          Size.sup.3                                                                           ness.sup.4                              ranking                                                                               selection   rank    rank  rank  rank                                    ______________________________________                                          1     NY 1529      9       2     2     8                                       2     Holiday     11       8    13    16                                       3     Jewel        3      22    18     3                                       4     NY 1524     21      15     8     4                                       5     Canoga       6       1     1    15                                       6     NY 1530      4       9    19     5                                       7     Scott        7      12    16    10                                       8     NY 1406      5       3    17    21                                       9     MDUS 4359   18      20    11     2                                      10     Honeoye     19       4    20     7                                      11     NY 1580     25       6    10    18                                      12     Allstar     14      19     7    14                                      13     NY 1482      2      14     6    19                                      14     NY 1368     16      18    15    11                                      15     MDUS 4579   15      13    12    25                                      16     MDUS 4426   17      24     5    24                                      17     NY 1333     27      23     3     1                                      18     MDUS 4355   22      26    24     6                                      19     MDUS 4774   28      28    14    22                                      20     Raritan     12       5    22    13                                      21     NY 1560     23      21    21    12                                      22     NY 1570     29      29     4    28                                      23     NY 1431     20      11     9    17                                      24     Sparkle      8      10    28    27                                      25     NY 1402     24      17    25    20                                      26     MDUS 4380   26      27    23     9                                      27     Catskill     1       7    27    29                                      28     Midland     10      25    26    25                                      29     Earlidawn   13      16    29    23                                      ______________________________________                                         Overall                                                                               cultivar/  Skin.sup.5                                                                             Texture.sup.6                                                                         Flavor.sup.7                                                                          Quality.sup.8                          ranking                                                                               selection  rank    rank   rank   rank                                   ______________________________________                                          1     NY 1529     2       2      3      9                                      2     Holiday     8       9      5      1                                      3     Jewel       3      16      4      9                                      4     NY 1524     1       5      9     19                                      5     Canoga     10      10     13     29                                      6     NY 1530     4       6     16     29                                      7     Scott      11      14     15      9                                      8     NY 1406    15      15     25      1                                      9     MDUS 4359  12      23      1     19                                     10     Honeoye    23      21     11      1                                     11     NY 1580     9       7     21     19                                     12     Allstar    13      12     12     29                                     13     NY 1482    18      19     26     19                                     14     NY 1368     6      25      6     29                                     15     MDUS 4579   7       3     28     29                                     16     MDUS 4426   5      11     18     29                                     17     NY 1333    14      18     19     29                                     18     MDUS 4355  16      22     17      1                                     19     MDUS 4774  17       4     22      1                                     20     Raritan    22      26     10     29                                     21     NY 1560    19       8      7     29                                     22     NY 1570    28       1      2     19                                     23     NY 1431    21      13     20     29                                     24     Sparkle    25      28      8     19                                     25     NY 1402    20      17     23     19                                     26     MDUS 4380  24      20     14     29                                     27     Catskill   29      29     27     29                                     28     Midland    27      24     24     19                                     29     Earlidawn  26      27     29     29                                     ______________________________________                                          .sup.1 Yield based on 3 replicates, 15ft. plots. 8 harvest dates, 1981.        .sup.2 Yield based on 3 replicates, 15ft. plots, 8 harvest dates, 1982.        .sup.3 Size = total yield divided by total number of fruit.                    .sup.4 Attractiveness evaluated subjectively, scored 1-9, 4-8 reps.            .sup.5 Skin toughness evaluated subjectively, scored 1-9, 4-8 reps.            .sup.6 Texture evaluated using Instron Instrument, 12 fruit per mean, 4-8      reps.                                                                          .sup.7 Flavor evaluated subjectively, score 1-9, 4-8 reps.                     .sup.8 Frozen quality evaluated by replicated blind taste panels, 1 = ver      good, 9 = good, 19 = acceptable, 29 = unacceptable.                      

                  TABLE 10                                                         ______________________________________                                         NY 1529 as scored at various sites in the                                      Great lakes region of North America.                                                                                    Firm-                                 Test site  Yield   Flavor  Size Appearance                                                                              ness                                  ______________________________________                                         Montreal, Quebec                                                                          3       3       3    3        5                                     MN         4       2       3    3        5                                     WS         3       4       3    4        --                                    MA         5       3       4    4        4                                     NY         4       4       5    5        4                                     OH         5       4       4    4        4                                     PA         5       3       4    4        3                                     Average Score:                                                                            4.1     3.3     3.7  4.4      4.2                                   ______________________________________                                          1 = poor, 3 = average, 5 = best                                          

DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

FIG. 1. One quart basket of NY 1529 shown with scale in inches and millimeters. Note large size, glossy color, and attractive appearance and shape.

FIG. 2. Fruit shown ripening in a field planting. Note fruit size in comparison to the quarter, and fruit ripen over a long period.

FIG. 3. Foliage shown in a field planting. Note open canopy, leaves not cupped.

FIG. 4. Plot of NY 1529 with moderate vigor and runnering, very acceptable habit for production in the Northeast.

FIG. 5. NY 1529 leaf serrations in comparison with `Earliglow`. `Earliglow` (on the right) is more deeply serrated along the leaf edge.

FIG. 6. Glandular hairs on the flower pedicel and peduncle of NY 1529 run almost parallel with the pedicel, similar to `Earliglow`.

FIG. 7. Note the way the glandular hairs on `Earliglow` run parallel to the pedicel.

FIG. 8. The amount of grandular hairs on NY 1529 (photo 6), is much less dense than `Allstar`, shown here.

FIG. 9. In contrast to FIGS. 6 and 7, glandular hairs on `Honeyoye` are perpendicular to the pedicel and may be pointed slightly downward or more than 90 degrees. This is similar to NY 1593, except NY 1593 glandular hairs are pointed slightly upward and less than 90 degrees from the pedicel.

FIG. 10. Microphotograph of the upper leaf surface of `Seneca`.

FIG. 11. Microphotograph of the upper leaf surface of `Allstar`.

FIG. 12. Microphotograph of the lower leaf surface of `Seneca`.

FIG. 13. Microphotograph of the lower leaf surface of `Allstar`.

FIG. 14. Microphotograph of the lower leaf surface of `Honeyoye`.

FIG. 15. Microphotograph of the lower leaf surface of `Earliglow`.

FIG. 16. Microphotograph of the lower leaf surface of `Jewel`.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This invention is a new and distinct variety of strawberry (Fragaria×Ananassa) which is exceptional in combining large yield, potential large fruit size, extreme fruit firmness, and good fruit quality. The strawberry is named `Seneca` and was tested as NY 1529. Asexual propagation has been achieved by runner plants and also by means of tissue culture at the Department of Horticultural Sciences, Cornell University, Geneva, N.Y.

The primary berries of NY 1529 are blunt conic in shape with very broad-shoulders, the smaller fruit are near globose in shape. Seeds are mostly dull-yellow and may be dark red on the dark side of the fruit, are slighly sunken to even with the skin, and are more often even toward the fruit tip. The calyx is even to sunken, not reflexed. Sepals rest on top of fruit and tend to lay flatter as fruit mature. Sepal tips may turn upward until fruit mature. Skin has moderate toughness, flesh is very firm, exterior color is medium red and glossy, corresponding to Red 45A and 46B of the Royal Horticultural Society (London) Colour Chart. Internal flesh is a very light red transparent color. Fruit flavor is good, slightly acid with a mild `Holiday` aromatic quality. NY 1529 matures in late midseason.

NY 1529 has a moderate vigor and runnering growth habit, its leaves are medium green in color, corresponding to Green 137B of the R.H.S. Colour Chart and foliage is open not cupped. NY 1529 leaf serrations are less deeply serrated in comparison with `Earliglow`. Glandular hairs on the flower pedicil epidermis of NY 1529 run almost parallel with the pedicel. The glandular hairs of NY 1529 are less dense than `Allstar`.

Further examination of `Seneca` leaves revealed a few more distinguishing characteristics. FIG. 10 shows the upper surface of a `Seneca` strawberry leaf with moderate pubescence, compared to FIG. 11 showing the upper surface of an `Allstar` strawberry leaf with no pubescence present. Upon microscopic examination of the upper leaf surfaces, `Seneca` always shows a moderate amount of pubescence and `Allstar` is absent of any pubescence on the upper leaf surface.

FIG. 12 shows the lower leaf surface of `Seneca` with no interveinal pubescence and few veinal hairs running parallel and on the lower leaf venation, compared to `Allstar` in FIG. 13 which has many interveinal hairs and more dense and coarse venal pubescence. FIG. 14 shows the undersurface of a `Honeoye` leaf and has similar veinal and interveinal pubescence as `Allstar`. `Earliglow` (FIG. 15), and `Jewel` (FIG. 16), (as well as `Chambly`, `Cavendish`, and `Lateglow`) all have less interveinal pubescence than `Allstar` and `Honeoye`, but more than `Seneca`.

Mature `Seneca` upper leaf surfaces correspond to green 137 B of the R.H.S. Colour Chart and lower surfaces correspond to Greyed-Green 191 A. Younger and newly unfurled leaves correspond to Green 137 D for the upper leaf surface and Greyed-Green 191 B for the lower leaf surface.

`Seneca` leaflet size ranges in length from 8.1-9.5 cm (average length 8.54 cm) and ranges in width from 5.9-9.5 cm (average width 7.06 cm) with an average of 28.88 serrations per leaflet. Average serration width is 0.93 cm.

`Seneca` has no brown resistance to any root diseases including Red Steele and verticillium wilt and seems particularly susceptible to Black Root Rot disease. Therefore, it should not be planted into solid known to be infested up such root disease organisms.

Usefulness

This new cultivar is particularly well-suited for use by commercial fruit growers in the Great Lakes Region of the United States, because of its high potential (Table 7), its tough skin (Table 2) and firm flesh (Table 3) which are needed for shipping, its large fruit size (Table 4) which is needed for efficient hand harvest, and its attractive (Table 5) and pleasant flavored (Table 6) fruit which should market well. Cooperative testers in many Great Lakes States report superior performance (Table 10), indicating good hardiness. In addition, taste panels have found this cultivar to be superior to most other cultivars tested in terms of frozen fruit quality (Table 8). When 29 cultivars and selections adapted to the Great Lakes climate were ranked for 8 characteristics, this cultivar was found to make the highest mean ranking for all characters (Table 9). 

We claim:
 1. The new and distinct variety of strawberry herein described and illustrated and identified by the characters enumerated above. 